Graft and Corruption in Public Administration

“There’s an honest graft, and I’m an example of how it works. I might sum up the whole thing by sayin’: ‘I seen my opportunities and I took’em’”. – George Washington Plunkitt.

One of the subjects we discussed in class this week was the concept of graft.  What it is? Who does it? Why they do it? Does it still exist? Does it matter? I found the quote above to be an interesting take on what seems to be fairly commonplace in some governments. The study of graft quickly became of great intrigue to me, making me want to focus this week’s blog on the subject.

Graft is defined in the free dictionary (2014) as 1. Unscrupulous use of one's position to derive profit or
advantages, like extortion; 2. Money or an advantage gained or yielded by unscrupulous means; or 3. To gain by or practice unscrupulous use of one's position. (Unknown). Essentially, one who grafts is one who leverages their power or position in the quest to gain something.  Any gain can be as simple as financial gain, or as complex as political gain. Granted, both types of gain generally result in financial reward; while the first is immediate, the latter results in future financial reward based on a rise in power. While I differentiate between graft and corruption in the title of my blog, I probably should not. Graft, pure and simple, is a form of corruption.

The people who graft are those who are in a position of power.  In the public sector, this could be a manager, department head, governing body head, state representative, senator, governor, vice president, or even president. What do each of these positions have in common?  They are leaders, and they have a level of position power afforded to them.  Granted, the position power of a manager is not nearly as great as that of a government body head, and I would assume that the graftability (I do not think this is even a word!) is not as abundant as a result.  Nevertheless, the ability to graft is still very much present.

Now that I have described who can graft, the question that needs to be answered is …why would they do it? The answer is simple: to get more power and more money! Besides the quest to make a better life for those in the constituency (cynicism intended!), these may be the two biggest motivators for most people with position power to graft. Power is seductive and power is addicting. Please do not misunderstand what I am trying to say here. I am not saying that any public servant who has position power as grafters. But there are just so many that do graft; and those who do are doing so in the quest for power, glory, and money.

OK. I have discussed who can graft.  I have discussed why a person with position power might graft. Does it still happen today? Yes, it does!  There are many examples in the news of bribery, coercion, and the heavy influence that those with power place on those with less or no power.  One example is in 2003, in Clark County, Nevada. Commissioners were taking bribes from strip club owners in exchange for the passing strip club friendly legislation.  The case was known as “Operation G-String”. What were the results of the investigation? “Four commissioners were convicted of conspiracy, wire fraud, and extortion.” (Trex, 2008). Graft is not only part of American politics, though.  In 2002, citizens of Turkey grew tired of their corrupt government, electing Recep Tayyip Erdogan,  a member of the “Islamist Justice and Development” (AK) Party, as their prime minister. In Turkish, AK translates to “white”, or “pure”.  Later, it was discovered that over 50 Turkish officials were orchestrating covert gold transfers to Iran, as well as taking bribes. Erdogan’s actions were swift and direct; he reassigned hundreds of Turkish police chiefs and fired the prosecutor who was leading the investigation. In addition, he put laws in place that allowed government to halt corruption investigations against the government.  (Economist, 2014). Graft is alive and thriving!

We have discussed the usual suspects in the arena of grafting; why people with position power would graft; and that grafting is still alive and well today.  Does it matter if public officials graft? You bet it matters.  Even if the grafting is benefiting both them and their agency, it is a dirty, unethical act.  As a taxpayer, how could we trust our representation if they are concerned first about themselves, and then about their citizenry?  In addition, if a public official is participating in graft, there it is more than likely an opportunity that is lost, as the grafting official is taking bribes while foregoing on what could be considered a better option …for less money.

Do you know a public official who has participated in graft?

References

Economist, T. (2014, January 4). Turkish Politics: No longer a shining example. Retrieved from The Economist: http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21592671-turkeys-government-disappoints-because-allegations-sleaze-and-its-increasingly-authoritarian

Riordan, W. (2007). Honest graft and dishonest graft. In W. L. Richter, & F. Burke, Combating corruption, encouraging ethics: a practical guide to management ethics (pp. 89-90). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Trex, E. (2008, December 11). 4 More Examples of American Political Corruption. Retrieved from Mental Floss: http://mentalfloss.com/article/20340/4-more-examples-american-political-corruption

Unknown, O. (2014). The free dictionary: Graft. Retrieved from The free dictionary: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/graft

Comments on Starks' Twenty-first century challenges: global dimensions/changing boundaries

This week, I studied Twenty-first century challenges: global dimensions/changing boundaries by Glenn L. Sparks (2007). Sparks discusses the changes that are occurring in the public sector workplace as a result of both government downsizing and the onset of mass retirements as baby boomers reach retirement age.

What does this mean to you, the government agency? While it seems that employee retirement would be the perfect complement to addressing government downsizing, it can also leave you faced with a dramatically changed work environment. Not only are you forced to do more tasks with less resources, but the resources you do have will possess a completely different skillset than the resources you were used to having. There is less experience and less institutional knowledge. Moreover, the generation of workers you now have (which are the Generation X and Millennials) have completely different motivators that must be understood in order to achieve the highest level of productivity. In Working with Five Generations in the Workplace, Rawn Shah explains that by 2015, the “the people born between 1977 and 1997—will account for nearly half the employees in the world” (Shaw, 2011).

In Starks’ report (2007), he discusses his approach to the changing work environment, and offers an “eight point dynamic strategy to cope with dramatically changing work environments” (p. 47).  The eight points offered include 1. Act like a business; 2. Manage the whole person; 3. Empower employees; 4. Expect more out of employees; 5. Avoid politics; 6. Become educated; 7. Remember for whom you work; and 8. Be a manager and a leader. Let me speak on each of these points.

Act like a business. Starks discusses that public-sector agencies must employ private-sector business practices. His thought process behind this is that private sector companies compete for the same government

funds that public sector agencies. Public sector agencies must create a competitive advantage so they can secure funds. Starks even comments that “if sales are not generated to meet it budgetary needs, the agency must reduce manpower or make financial reductions”. While I believe that government agencies can employ some aspects of private business practices, there are very distinct differences existing between private and public sectors; namely the profit motive that exists. In spite of government having no profit motive, their services are generally competitive in cost to those existing in private business, if the government entity is constructed and managed in an efficient manner.

Manage the whole person!

Manage the whole person. Starks discusses that today’s workforce is very diverse. Different cultures, interests, and generations. As I had mentioned earlier, by 2015, generation X and generation millennial will make up over half of the global workforce. These generations will have a completely different set of needs, desires, interests, and motivators than any of the generations before them.  The key to maximizing
productivity is to create a workplace that speaks to the employee’s motivations. A manager in this brave, new world will have to be open to change.  I know this is a hard concept for the more “experienced” worker (present company included) to accept, but it if you want to maximize productivity (employee happiness, output), this needs to be a serious consideration.

Empower employees. Starks (2007) discusses that “effective administrators allow their employees to make decisions and have input into major decisions” (p. 50). I am a wholehearted supporter of this concept.  As I had wrote in my previous paragraph, managers must be open to change in order maximize productivity in today’s organizations. In my opinion, it would greatly benefit a workplace to empower employees to have input on how work gets done. Soliciting (and employing) staff input fosters a sense of ownership in the results.

Expect more out of employees. Starks discusses that as work forces get smaller and smaller, people must work more efficiently. My reaction when I read this was “of course people must work more efficiently”!  Managers have to find ways to get work done with less people, less money, and perhaps less time, while following a more and more set of strict statutory requirements.  In order to do this, I would employ the art of empowering employees to help optimize processes, review what is required by statute, and compare that against what you are currently doing.  Often much of what we do is based on past practices, but not necessarily what is required by statute. This can bring about some difficult discussions and tough discussions.

Avoid politics. This is a must.  Though citizens may blur the distinction between public entities and politics,
there is a difference. Friedrich (2007) discusses that there are two distinct functions of public service: policy making, via politics; and policy execution, executed through administration (p. 35). Starks’ point he was trying to make deals more with the internal politics that exist in the workplace, the creation of “yes” people, and the damage it can cause. Employees use politics in hopes of impressing upper management, and while not intentional, often causes great tension in the workplace.

Become educated. Starks (2007) discusses that it is not only important to take advantage of training opportunities that are offered at work, but also to pursue training from outside sources (p. 51). Training is important to me, and I am in complete agreement with Starks’ points he makes here.  Internal training opportunities are important as they add a consistency in how work is completed, and are a great means of training staff in tasks that are statutorily required. Outside training offer employees an opportunity to experience other perspectives. A new twist, so to speak. Hopefully, they bring new ideas back with them that will improve the current processes.

Remember for whom you work. In my opinion, this is one of the most important points that Starks is trying to make.  As public servants, it is our obligation to carry out the laws and statutes, and our goal should be to deliver the most efficient, professional service possible with the funds the taxpayers provide.

Be a manager and a leader. Lastly, leaders must be innovative and set clear direction for their organizations.  Starks (2007) mentions that leaders must “access the organization and make the most of what is available” (p. 52). While Starks discusses that a leader needs to involve employees in the decision making for the office, ultimately the manager is accountable for achieving results. It is important to create a balance of providing staff with training that will enhance operations of the office, understanding employee need, and fulfilling those needs in a way that fulfills the mission of the agency.

Thank you for reading. More later!

References

Friedrich, C. J. (2007). Public policy and the nature of administrative responsibility. In W. L. Richter, & F. Burke, Combating corruption, encouraging ethics: a practical guide to management ethics (pp. 35-37). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Shaw, R. (2011, April 20). Working with five generations in the workplace. Retrieved from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/rawnshah/2011/04/20/working-with-five-generations-in-the-workplace/

Starks, G. L. (2007). Twenty-first century challenges: global dimensions/changing boundaries. In W. L. Richter, & F. Burke, Combating corruption, encouraging ethics: a practical guide to management ethics (pp. 50-52). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Do you feel safe?

I 'm a Rocket Man!

My morning ritual is to wake up in the morning, and sit up in bed, drink coffee, work on homework, pet my 14 year old dachshund Otto, and watch the morning news while I am waiting for my turn in the shower. This morning I was watching a news story reporting on the 34 missile officers from Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana who were caught cheating on advancement exams. NBC News had reported that “the military has stripped the certification and security clearances of 34 officers at a Montana missile base after uncovering what it believes is the largest cheating scandal ever to hit the nuclear force”(Miklaszewski & Kube, 2013). These officers were accused of text messaging back and forth during the examination, sharing answers and discussing the text.  I do not know why in this day and age that this surprised me, but I just sat there and shook my head.  Bewildered. Confused. Disappointed. These were my feelings. I am just disappointed in the decisions that people make when trying to get ahead in life.  My first thought was that if a person has to cheat in order to get ahead, then they are probably not qualified for the job in the first place. This was a sad case of poor decision making, and unquestionably poor ethics.

Uh... I feel stupid now!

These personnel are entrusted with our safety as a country, and our lives as individuals.  As a nation, no, as an individual, do you feel safe knowing that those entrusted to keep us safe have questionable ethics? Svara (2007) discusses in Combating corruption, encouraging ethics: a practical guide to management ethics the principles that serve as an alternative in the ethical triangle within his principle-based approach. Examples of these western-culture principles include truth telling, promise keeping, the sanctity of the individual, the sanctity of life, and justice (p. 25). If I were to ponder the principles within this approach, I would have to come to the following conclusions: 

• Did these servicemen and women tell the truth… no, they did not;
• Did these servicemen and women keep their promise? no, they did not;
• Did these servicemen and women respect the sanctity of the individual? I do not believe they did;
• Did these servicemen and women respect the sanctity of life? I am not sure; 
• Finally, did these servicemen and women receive justice? I hope they do.

These servicemen and women decided to take a short cut in order to advance their careers. A cheat. A lie. A fallacy. Do you still feel safe

An alternative in contrast to the principle-based approach would be the utilitarianism. Utilitarianism suggests that “An action is right or wrong depending on its consequences” (Richter & Burke, p. 25). Unlike principle-based, utilitarianism can be taken with greater subjectivity, as in my mind, any action could be considered acceptable… if you do not get caught doing them. If these servicemen and women never were caught, utilitarianism may suggest that what they did was appropriate, or at least, acceptable. This alternative in the ethical triangle suggests that “when examining utilities for society as a whole, the preferred choice is that   which produces the greatest good for the greatest number” (p. 25). Reading this tells me that it is ok for these servicemen and women to cheat on their testing, if the result, which would be them being placed in a position of higher responsibility, is for the greater good. 

Do you still feel safe?

Let’s take a moment and apply the utilitarian approach to your own life. We’ll start slow, and ease into it. If you drive over the speed limit in order to get to work on time, would it be OK if you don’t get caught?  Let’s go a little further, here.  If you decided to have an affair, would it be OK as long as you do not get caught?  Hmm.  OK, let’s go completely over the line.  What if you were to commit murder? Would it be considered acceptable IF the person you murdered was really bad? I mean, like child molester bad? OK, I offer my apology if I offended anybody, but it seems like utilitarianism could be taken to that extreme. If you do not get caught, it must be OK, right?  Wrong!

My thought process is very similar to that of a principle-based approach: tell the truth, keep your promises, respect the sanctity of life and the individual, and fight for and respect justice.

That’s all for now.  Have a great week!

References

Miklaszewski, J., & Kube, C. (2013, January 15). 34 nuclear missile officers cheated on tests, Air Force says. Retrieved from NBC News: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/15/22317264-34-nuclear-missile-officers-cheated-on-tests-air-force-says?lite

Richter, W. L., & Burke, F. (2007). Combating corruption, encouraging ethics: a practical guide to management ethics. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Hello Classmates!

Welcome to my blog for PA6774 Ethics at Troy University.

I am excited to take this Ethics course as I continue my journey towards my Master's degree in Public Administration.  This will be a very short post this week, but I hope you will come back in the following weeks, read my posts, and provide feedback.

These posts will be based on our weekly readings in ethics, and the way I apply it to both what I see in the world today and happenings in my life.  I would anticipate that my writings will rely heavily on my opinion, and there are times that I can be direct, honest, and a little cynical.  If you do not agree with what you read and have an opinion about it, please share it with me, as this is how I grow and learn. I will do my best to reply as time permits.  

Thank you, and best of luck this term!